It's better to be safe than sorry

2 Min Read

Hi, it’s Lyn*, Dave’s wife, here again.

He’s just popped out for a game of golf with his mates. I can hardly get him off the green these days! But seeing as he’s out, I wanted to take the chance to tell you about Glen (I’ve changed his name, but he’s a real bloke going through a similar experience to my Dave).

Now Glen’s a great bloke who is really active. He likes to go hiking, swimming and other activities with his family. I know that Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) can affect anyone, even if they’re active, but when I first heard about it, I thought it was quite surprising. Anyway, unlike my Dave, Glen’s symptoms started with a weaker stream when he went to the loo. He knew he had to address it immediately as his father had suffered from prostate problems 20 years ago. In fact, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

After visiting his GP for an examination and blood test, Glen was referred to a Urologist for a scan given his family history. Glen's urologist arranged for a MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan of his prostate which thankfully ruled out prostate cancer. He was subsequently diagnosed with BPH like my Dave. Turned out he was retaining 300-500mls of urine in his bladder every time he went to pass urine. That’s a lot! Even though his symptoms weren’t too bad, it could have got a lot worse if he hadn’t been checked out.

Glen started treatment immediately, and ultimately ended up undergoing surgery early this year to reduce the size of his prostate and reduce the pressure on his bladder which was causing his urinary symptoms. His quality of life has improved, and he tells everyone about it now! He’s sharing a message with other Aussie blokes:

“I’d encourage other men, particularly those aged 50 and over who are experiencing issues with their waterworks to see their GP. Get it checked out sooner rather later, because the symptoms can worsen over time”.

*This is a fictitious story based on real patient accounts of their own/loved one’s experiences with BPH.